This invention generally relates to motor-compressor units and to methods of assembling motor-compressor units. More particularly, the invention relates to suspension systems for motor-compressor units and to methods of locating elements of a suspension system strategically within a shell of a motor-compressor unit.
The utilization of hermetically and semi-hermetically sealed motor-compressor units has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, particularly in refrigeration applications where the motor-compressor unit is employed to compress a refrigerant vapor. Conventionally, the motor-compressor units include a compressor, a motor such as an electric motor for driving the compressor, and a shell enclosing both the compressor and the motor. Usually, the motor and compressor are resiliently mounted or suspended within the shell to minimize or dampen normal vibrations of the compressor and to limit extensive movement of the motor and compressor as might occur during startup of the motor-compressor unit or during shipping or handling.
In addition to achieving these objectives satisfactorily, ideally the suspension or mounting system should meet or satisfy a number of other criteria. For example, of course, the suspension system should not interfere with normal operation of the motor and compressor, and normal operation of the motor-compressor unit should not adversely affect the suspension system to any significant degree. Further, it is preferred to use standard, easily available, and inexpensive parts for the suspension system and to minimize the number of parts or elements of the suspension system to insure reliability as well as to minimize manufacturing, inventory, and assembly costs.
Numerous prior art suspension systems provide excellent results with many typical or common motor-compressor units. Recently, though, considerable attention has been directed toward designing radically new motor-compressor units having, for example, atypically shaped shells and compressors. For example, substantial efforts have been devoted toward constructing the shell and the compressor so that these two elements cooperate together to define and separate suction and discharge plenums.
Moreover, while conventional motor-compressor units employ horizontally split shells--that is, shells having top and bottom halves or sections that are joined together along a seam defining a horizontal plane--much attention has been addressed to designing motor-compressor units with vertically split shells--that is, shells having left and right halves or sections which are joined together along a seam defining a vertical plane--and particularly, with vertically split shells having substantially identical shell sections or halves. While these new motor-compressor units have noteworthy advantages, such as improved thermal insulation of the cool suction vapors from the hot discharge vapors, over prior art units, it is believed that, in order to provide these new motor-compressor units with suspension systems which fully optimize the various and diverse goals and considerations set forth above, revolutionary new suspension systems are needed.